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Classes 2022
At St Marys District School, we work collaboratively to make decisions regarding class placement. These decisions are informed by students, teachers, parents and guardians. Classes are formed to provide the best possible learning environment for all students catering for academic needs, to support friendships and increased social connections, to improve work habits and to foster diversity.
Parents and carers may provide specific information about their student's learning and/or social needs. Such information would not include a request for students to be in a particular class or with specific students or teachers. The information should be provided in writing (letter or email) to the Assistant Principal, Ros Smith K-6 or Andrew Martin 7-12 by Week 6, Term 4.
Progressive Achievement Testing (PAT)
Currently students from Prep to Grade 10 are completing the annual Progressive Achievement Testing (PAT). PAT assesses key areas of literacy and numeracy and provides our teachers with a useful snapshot of the impact that their teaching practices. These assessments also assist us to measure our school’s growth against our school improvement targets and to set targets for the 2022 school year.
Grade 6 to 7 Transition
Our Grade 7, 2022 Transition Program continues with transition meetings for students from Bicheno Primary School underway. Plans for a Transition Excursion to Rostrevor on the 22 November are being finalised and we are busy planning the final touches to Orientation Day to be held on Tuesday 23 November 2022.
Secondary Athletics Carnival
Congratulations to Laura Swanson for her organisation of our secondary Athletics Carnival. Students and staff appreciate the significant amount of planning that goes into making a carnival run smoothly and I am particularly impressed with Laura’s accurate weather forecasting and ability to keep the rain at bay for the majority of the day! It was wonderful to see students participating in the activities on offer and to hear their support for team members.
Professional Learning Day
Last Friday was a Professional Learning Day for staff. During the day teaching staff examined a range of data about our school including the school satisfaction survey, the Student Wellbeing Survey and NAPLAN. We used the data sets to measure growth against targets described in our School Improvement Plan and begin the work of completing our 2021 Annual Report and our 2022 School Improvement Plan. Non-teaching staff worked together to complete professional learning about the importance of family and community engagement. This session provided the opportunity for non-teaching staff to examine their roles in light of the family engagement work currently underway in our school and build on their knowledge and understanding of the essential elements of family and community engagement. Feedback from this session has been extremely positive and our staff have engaged in some interesting conversations about how they can contribute to this work in the longer term.
Always Remembered
At this time, we also take a moment to pass on our most sincere and heart-felt condolences to the family of much-loved friend, colleague, netball coach and teacher’s assistant, Fiona Lowe. Her recent passing has left a hole in the hearts of the staff, students, and community of St Marys.
Fiona’s compassion, care, professionalism, humour, generosity, and genuine love for the students was impossible not to notice. She has positively changed the lives of thousands of students and this positive impact will continue to spread and benefit the lives of all those who were lucky enough to be involved with her.
We would also like to thank all members of our school and community for the amazing way that they have supported each other, cared for those that were impacted, and pulled together in common purpose during what has been a very challenging time. Many small acts of generosity, kindness, respect and ‘going the extra mile’ have combined in a wonderful reflection of what Fiona meant to our school, staff and students.
Fiona’s life was a shining example of successfully modelling a life well lived. “She has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much”. We hope, during their years at St Marys District School, that we can teach our students to follow Fiona’s amazing example of bravery, compassion, dignity and kindness. Vale Fiona Lowe.
The St Marys District School magazine highlights all of the great things that have happened at St Marys District School during the year. Our staff and students have been working hard on compiling all of this year's events and the magazine will soon be sent off for printing.
Once again, in acknowledgement of an eventful year, we are excited to announce that we will be providing one copy of the 2021 school magazine to each enrolled family free of charge.
Limited additional copies will be available for grandparents, siblings, family and friends to purchase at a cost of $20.00 each. If you would like to pre-order and pay for additional copies, please do so at the school administration office by Tuesday November 30.
Shoeboxes Please
Students in the P-2 classes are learning about living things, through observing their external features and identifying their habitats. One way for students to demonstrate their understanding of a creature’s needs, is through representing its habitat. We would like to provide an opportunity for students to show their understandings creatively through making a diorama (model) in a shoebox.
If you have any clean, unwanted shoeboxes we would appreciate it if you could send them in to the school.
Thank you
Jess Hilliard & Leonie Youdale
GRADE 3-5 SWIMMING AND WATER SAFETY PROGRAMME
It is hard to believe that 10 days ago we commenced our 2021 SWSP on Friday 15 October and finished on Thursday 28 October. As you can see in this selection of photos from over the 10 days, our students have learned to:
- wade, float, submerge, propel themselves through the water
- demonstrate rescues with a range of equipment
- fitted their own life jacket (PFD – personal floatation device)
- demonstrate safe water entries and exits. They have learned the sequence of rescue – reach, throw, wade, row, swim and tow.
Our students have engaged in a range of water skills, water survival tasks and stroke development progressions that will equip them with life-long aquatic skills.
Our students participated in a water safety day where they had to put on dry clothes and complete shallow and deep-water challenges, including a three and five minute deep water survival swim for our more competent swimmers. Our students also participated in a very valuable boat safety day with Mr Ian Ross from Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST). All students have been given boat safety pamphlets to share with family members so that our education about boat safety and our water environment (beach, river, dam, pool etc) doesn’t just stop at our school pool door!
Please read the information about checking the weather, ensuring your boat is fit for purpose, throwing out old life jackets and servicing life jackets so that they inflate when needed. Are your night and day flares in working condition? Is your EPIRB battery fully charged? If you wish to update your knowledge and skills to ensure further safety in and around our waterways, more information and resources can be found on the MAST website www.mast.tas.gov.au.
Each student’s aquatic development is unique to them. An anxious student who finally demonstrates the ability to float, enter deep water, open eyes under water and blow bubbles has succeeded just as much as a confident student who has managed to swim 50m in four different strokes. All achievements are fantastic!! As soon as all the SWSP administrative paperwork is completed, each student will be issued with a progress report (previously called record of development).
It has been a pleasure to organise and be teacher-in-charge of this year’s SWSP. I would like to thank our school Leadership team for their support with planning. I would like to acknowledge Erin Miller and Rod Stevenson who, five times every day for ten days, ensure the transition from classroom to the changerooms and to the pool was like clock-work! Thank you to our class teachers who ensured our students completed 15-20 minutes of water safety theory in twp special SWSP workbooks. Our thanks are also extended to Ms Carol Bennett, who, again contributed to our wonderful SWSP results with her instructional expertise. Well done and thanks to Matt Hoskinson for preparing the pool water so perfectly (ph levels and temperature) every morning and night to ensure swimmer comfort.
And finally, well done to all our students!! We are SO proud of your efforts in the water!!
In Biological Science Grade 1 - 2 students have been actively engaged in learning about what plants and animals need to survive.
Students placed an individual bean in a bag with moist cotton wool and placed it in a sunny position. Students have been observing the beans and recording the changes that are occurring. Students discussed the thought that a seed can be thought of as a baby plant. If it has water, sunlight and soil, a seed can grow into a tree, flower, fruit or vegetable. Each student has made a hypothesis or guess on how the experiment will turn out.
Rosella, Huntta, Zayne and Luka drawing different types of habitats for native animals.
Fingal Numeracy : Grade 1 Students have been having fun in maths, learning to read the location of animals on a map grid. Students read the different grid coordinates and could record where the different pets could be located.
Week Three saw 25 amazing students head off on their first camp for quite a while; in some cases, many years! The Grade 9 camp was named “New Horizons” and based on getting our students to push their comfort zones, try new things, realise the strength in diversity and have a great time in the process.
We headed off to the Lea Scout Campsite, just south of Hobart. The first day was all about archery and problem solving as a team, over a low-ropes course. Mrs Cornelius, Mr Gidas and Jimmy Freiboth all managed to score an amazing 38 out of 40 in the archery, and at the opposite end of the scale, Zali and Mia managed to miss the target by the largest distance (40m)! The low ropes delivered amazing team work, problem solving and positive talk while the students attempted to navigate a number of challenges. Most telling here was the instructors feedback, simply saying “this is one of the best, most involved, groups that I have ever worked with”. High praise indeed to the fine young people that we have at St Marys District School.
The next day was the main event. Two groups of randomly selected students would take on the challenges of kunanyi / Mount Wellington. One group would engage in a challenging 9km circuit hike under the Organ Pipes, while the second group attempted multiple 20m abseils off Sphinx Rock. The groups would then have lunch and swap activities. This promised to be a massive day of exertion, overcoming fear, resilience, learning about positive self and team talk, as well as simply choosing to not let thoughts of fear or tiredness into your mind. Multiple students pushed themselves well beyond what they thought was possible, as well as realising that fears can be overcome by simply choosing to push on for one second longer. Special mention must go to Bayli for ‘best scream’ whilst deciding to hang upside down while abseiling, as well as to Olivia, Lola, Annalissa, Jimmy, Bayli and Achounta for never giving up during the day.
That evening saw amazing team cohesion and a sense of family as dinner was prepared, affirmations shared and fire-side chats were enjoyed. We finished the evening with a few sneaky games of spotlight/storm the lantern, where Matthew Nielson-Sonda won the coveted “night ninja” award. Special mention must go to Maceo, Victoria and Isak for their unique attempts at camouflage…. White writing on sleeves is a particularly brave choice.
Our final day saw a flurry of activity with pack-up and getting to our final two activities of Ice Skating or Mini Golf. Whilst the mini golf was fiercely contended, the real action was on the ice. Many students had never attempted this, and boy did it show! Of the 60 photos that were taken, over half had at least one student “taking a rest” on the ice – usually flat on their back! The assistance penguins came out in force and it was wonderful to see the improvements made in technique, as well as ability to stay up on their feet from the start of the session to the end. The highlight of the day was the speed skate championship, where Malakai, Jack, Jacob and Sunny all showed amazing skills and speed. The “most falls” award was fiercely contested by Jimmy F, Jessica and Zali, although Zali was miles ahead in the “most bruises” award!
Overall this was an amazing camp and it was truly wonderful to watch this group of students bond, connect and take on new challenges. Special thanks must go to Mrs Swanson and Mr Gidas for their amazing efforts and imagination in organising and running this camp, as well as to Mrs Cornelius for coming down and sharing her amazing spirit, calming presence and expertise with the team. I am certain that all involved were very pleased to see their own beds that evening, but also, looking forward to our next camp together!
On Wednesday, November 3, both 5/6 classes participated in an interactive Questacon Foldable Flight webinar.
This highly interactive Zoom webinar encouraged us to explore physics and engineering by creating, testing and modifying paper planes.
The session was presented by Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre and whilst the engineers who ran the webinar were in Queensland and New South Wales, it was a great online learning experience!
ARTS ON TOUR CELEBRATES 21 ANNUAL PERFORMANCES
Secondary Drama and Music Students have been busy rehearsing for 2 terms, preparing for Arts on Tour 2021.
Last year, the performance was cancelled due to Covid restrictions stopping travel and audience attendance. This years show will be our 21st! The play is an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, written by Miss Hickey and the Drama students, called ‘Journey to Oz’.
Their first performance will be to our Primary classes on Monday 8 November, before they hit the road and head south. The tour has a hectic schedule, starting Wednesday 10 November at Bicheno Primary and Swansea Primary Schools. Then on to Hobart, with performances on 11 November at Campbell St Primary and Lansdowne Crescent Primary. The following day will be at Dodges Ferry Primary on the way back up the coast.
The show is touring with a 7 piece band and full pas production. Set up and pack up times are always hectic with minimal times between shows!
Save the date for a community performance at St Marys District School on the evening of November 22! Further details including venue numbers (for Covid Safety) and how to obtain tickets will be shared soon.
The School Chaplain provides wellbeing support either in small groups or one-to-one on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The Chaplain runs programs that focus on self-esteem, positive friendships, life-skills, building relationships, developing self-awareness/emotional literacy and having hope for the future. Programs include crafts, cooking and gardening groups as well as the Breakfast Club.
Much thanks to the local Uniting Church which recently made a $200 donation to the chaplaincy program at St Marys. This has been used to purchase materials and resources such as craft supplies.
Hannah Rubenach-Quinn – School Chaplain
These notices have been sent home to parents in the last fortnight. If you did not receive one and would like to receive a copy of the notice, please contact the school office on 63 723 900.
PRIMARY
- Primary Assembly
- Country Gold Cricket 15-16th November
- Primary Gala Day at St.Helens
- Grade 6 to 7 Transition Camp -Rostrevor 22nd November
- Grade 6 to 7 Transition Day at St.Marys - 23rd November
- Grade 3-6 Swimming Carnival
- Grade 2/3 and Grade 3/4 Riverbend Excursion - 25th November
SECONDARY
- Grade 8 Camp - 15th - 17th November
- Secondary Assembly 9.15am
- AFLW Gala Day - 12th Novemver
- Inter-High Athletics Carnival - St.Leonards 18th November
- Arts on Tour - 10th - 12th November
WHOLE SCHOOL
NOTICEBOARD